365 beers in 365 days

There are a few wheat beers that have been sitting, neglected, in my pantry for a while now. I’ve always bypassed them for something darker, hoppier, stronger or weirder, because I’d decided that wheat beers aren’t really my thing.

But what the hell is my thing? As I discovered with last night’s brown ale revelation, I don’t really know yet, and whatever I think it is, I can easily change my mind if the right beer comes along.

So, I plucked this Feral White from it’s dusty dark home, and gave it a shot.

I was expecting it to be cloudy and white, like a Hoegaarden, but instead it was a slightly hazy golden colour, with a whisp of white head.

It smelled nice enough – a lot like Hoegaarden really. It was citrusy (orange and lemon) with a bit of candy sweetness and doughy yeast.

The taste was similar, but a bit blander, and dominated by a lemony sourness at the finish. The mouthfeel was light and little on the watery side.

Overall, it was crisp and refreshing, but a bit empty somehow. I don’t know… If you needed something to cool off with in the summer then this would do the trick, but since it’s cold and this is my only sacred beer for the day, I feel a bit disappointed.

I’m back to thinking wheat beers aren’t really my thing.

PS – In defense of Feral, they clearly know how to make a good beer. I say bypass this for the Hop Hog, which is magic!

No, I’m not using Herbal Essenses, I’m just finally drinking the kind of beer that I’ve been craving for days.

I’m a few sips into the Hop Hog, and I’m pleased to report that it is in fact hoppy. Not in that sweet, tropical fruit-bowl (Hopwired) kinda way, but in a bitter, grapefruity citrus piney kinda way. (I never said I was good at descriptions.)

What else? It has a crisp mouthfeel, a dry finish, and a nice sweet/bitter balance that makes it sessionable/easy to quaff.

OK, so I’m about halfway through it now… And I think that I must be getting a bit fussier as this blog goes on, because now I’m thinking that it could use a few more hops and that while the aroma is great the taste could be just a tad more exciting.

Overall I think this is great – definitely one of the best Australian beers I’ve tried – and I think New Zealanders would definitely dig it. I’m not a huge fan of the label, but hey, I went to work this morning with an inside-out cardigan and a giant hole in my stockings so who am I to judge?